Surprising Secrets- teen rated
by jpaez
Summary: Zorro helps Victoria relax, and shares a few secrets with her that will change both of their lives.
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own the rights to Zorro or any of the characters. All rights to the characters are owned by the creators of Zorro. This story is for entertainment purposes only.**

**Surprising Secrets**

**Chapter 1**

The tavern was busy and Victoria was ready for a break. As she came through the curtains that separated the dining room from the hot kitchen, she noticed a red rose and a note on the countertop. She crossed over to the countertop and read the note while smelling the fragrant rose.

_Mi Amor,_

_Please meet me after you close for the evening. I have a surprise for you. Go to the Church garden, and I will be waiting there. Please dress warmly._

_All my love,_

_Zorro_

About two hours later, Victoria was sliding the lock closed on the tavern door. She really was curious about this surprise Zorro had waiting for her. She went up to her room and put her warmer clothes on, and made her way out the back door a few minutes later.

"I wonder why he wants to meet me so late. I hope everything is alright. Maybe he just misses me. It has been two weeks since he last came to the pueblo." A smile spread across her face as she headed toward the church garden thinking to herself quietly.

She entered the garden and looked around for her masked love. "Victoria," Zorro called her name from a dark shadow in the corner of the wall. She turned around quickly and noticed him watching her. "Zorro, you startled me," a look of surprise crossed her face, "you left this for me and a note wanting to meet me here." She held up the rose and looked at him with curious eyes.

"I missed you, and I have something special to show you." Zorro gave her a soft and loving smile as he came out of the shadowed corner to give her a kiss and hold her close.

"Oh, you do? And what would that surprise be?" She questioned him as he held her gaze.

"You will just have to wait and see," he gave her a wicked grin as he led her over to Toronado.

Zorro lifted her up onto Toronado's back, and climbed up to sit behind her. They rode out of the garden, and left the pueblo quietly. Victoria leaned against his chest and began to doze off. She had a long day, and did not get a break. Zorro looked down at her still and relaxed body against his chest, and thought how wonderful it would be to hold her this close without having to put a mask on. The sun had set by now and the stars were shining brightly in the cloudless sky.

"Victoria," Zorro whispered her name softly to wake her up, "wake up my love."

Victoria woke up and slowly looked around her, "I am sorry I fell asleep, it has been a long day, and I did not sleep well last night." She looked tired, and was trying to keep her eyes open.

"I am sorry to have woken you up, but we need to walk for a little bit. The hill is too steep to travel on horse back. Can you stand up, and walk steady enough?" He gave her a soft kiss and dismounted. He reached up and lifted her out of the saddle and put her down on her feet.

"I should be awake enough to walk by myself," she looked up at him as he put his left arm around her waist to make sure she was steady enough before they started up the hill. When they reached the top of the hill, Victoria looked all around with an amazed expression as she saw the beautiful landscape and stars. "It is so beautiful up here, so peaceful and relaxing." She turned to Zorro who was watching her take in the scenery around her.

"Yes, it certainly is, and that is why I brought you here tonight. You need to relax, and get away from your stressful life every now and then." He pulled her close to him and kissed her lips softly. "The scenery is not as beautiful as you are right now." He added with a loving and playful gaze into her brown eyes.

He led her to a smooth place on the ground and helped her sit down. He sat down next to her and pulled her close to his side so she could lean against chest and relax. He rubbed her neck, back, and shoulders to help release some of the tension she had been holding onto.

"That feels so nice. I did not realize how tight my muscles were until I sat down." She settled in closer to him.

"Just relax and enjoy the stars and cool breeze." Zorro whispered into her ear.

"I almost forgot to give you the second surprise I have for you." He told her quietly as he reached around and handed her a small box.

"You did not need to get me anything. Just being here with you is enough." She turned around to look up at him, and saw a deep love dancing around in his eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Victoria put the small box on her lap, and removed the red ribbon that was holding the box closed. When she lifted the lid, she saw the most beautiful gold ring with a green stone carefully placed inside, and a note underneath the ring.

"Victoria, will you marry me?" Zorro looked deep into her brown eyes, and noticed the shocked look on her face. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I am fine, but I was not expecting this to happen," she looked at him, and back down at the ring still in the box.

"Well, what is your answer?" He was hardly holding it together due to the emotions ragging inside of him. "Yes or…," he did not finish his question when he saw her slide the ring onto her finger, and turn to look up at him.

"Yes, I will marry you," she smiled so big and gave him a kiss on the lips that made him melt at her touch.

"I love you so much Victoria and I want to spend the rest of my life with you." Zorro gazed deep down into her eyes.

"I love you too, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you also." She moved even closer and captured his lips with a very hungry kiss.

Zorro was taken by surprise when she kissed him, but did not stop her. He deepened the kiss and pulled her so close to him, she melted into his chest.

He moved her away at arms length and smiled at her. "Victoria, I wish we could go further, but you know we can't." He was trying to control his emotions, and calm his breathing down.

"I know we can't, but how long do we have to wait? The alcalde might be behaving for now, but we both know that means he is planning something to capture you." She gave a worried and sad look.

"I am sure he is, but whatever he may be planning, the joke will be on him." Zorro gave her a wicked smile and pulled her close for another kiss.

Victoria was taken by surprise by his reaction, almost like he already knew what the alcalde was planning. Well, he probably already knew, Zorro had a way of getting information even when he was not around to hear it personally.

"I have one more surprise for you, but I want to make sure you understand the danger you will be in after I show you." Zorro gave her a serious look.

"Danger?" Victoria questioned him. "What are you saying?" She asked him. Then his words made sense. "Are you going to unmask for me?" A look of shock and surprise froze on her face as she stared at him.

"Yes, I want you to understand that once you know my true identity, you must be very careful about how you react when you see me. Whether it be as Zorro, or the man under this mask. We do not want anybody to use you as bait to draw me out, or worse yet, hurt you until you tell them what they want to know." He gave her a worried look and waited for her reply.

"You can trust me with your secret. I already have an idea of who you might be, but this will just confirm my suspicions." She gave him a look of trust and reassured him with a smile.

Zorro moved a few steps back from her, and reached out to hold both of her hands. He slowly moved her hands to the knot at the back of his mask.

"Victoria, are you sure you understand the danger you will be in once you know who I really am?" He looked at her nervously.

"Yes, I understand I will be in more danger, but together we can help the pueblo, and most of all we can be together without the mask." She gave him a trusting and loving gaze.

Zorro watched her think and then when she looked up at him, he knew he could trust her with his secret. Victoria looked down at her skirt and prepared herself for what she had been waiting for, for a long time. Zorro held her hands over the knot and began to help her untie it. Just before the knot was undone, he removed his hands and allowed her to finish untying and remove his mask. As the mask left his face, he grew nervous, and wondered how she would react to find her best friend behind it.

Victoria now held his mask in her hands, but still had not looked up to see if her suspicions were true.

"Victoria," Zorro said quietly, "look up into my eyes and tell me if you still love me."

She looked up slowly, and when her eyes met his, she was not surprised to see her best friend Diego standing in front of her.

"Diego? I was right!" A huge smile spread across her face and she reached up to slide her hands up to his hair.

"Are you upset to find boring Diego standing before you?" He asked her in a shaky voice.

"No, why would I be?" She asked him and began to play with the hair at the base of his neck.

"Diego is a quiet, nonviolent man, and Zorro is a man of action." He stated quietly, and waited for her to respond.

"I have loved both Zorro and Diego for a long time." She continued to play with his hair.

"You have had feelings of love toward me, and you kept it to yourself? Why did you not say something before now?" Diego reached up to remove her hands from his hair, so he could kiss them.

"I was worried about how you would react if you knew I figured out your true identity." She gazed into his piercing blue eyes and reached up to put a small finger over his lips so she could finish. "I did drop lots of hints, hoping you would figure out that I knew about your secret, but you were so good at playing them off."

"I am sorry I did not pay closer attention to your hints, if only I had known, then we could have been together sooner." He looked at her sadly, and then down at his boots.

Victoria lifted his chin so she could see his face, "don't worry about it anymore. We can be together now, and you were just protecting yourself and those you loved from harm."

"I love you so much Victoria, and if anything ever happens to you, I would be lost." He pulled her close to him and leaned down to kiss the top of her head.

"We can protect each other, and enjoy a life of happiness now. I know we still need to be careful until we figure out how to make Zorro a part of the past." She stood up on her tip toes and kissed his lips softly. They parted a few seconds later and gazed up at the stars.

"I should get you back to the pueblo before it gets too much later." Diego took her hands and began to lead her toward the path they climbed up.

"But I do not want to go back just yet." She pouted and noticed a small smile on his face. "I want to stay and enjoy that massage you started, and did not finish. My shoulders still feel a little tight." She pouted some more.

"Alright, but only for a few more minutes, then I need to get you back before someone starts to wonder where you are." Zorro gave her a wicked grin and helped her to sit back down on a smooth rock big enough for two.

They held each other close and gazed at the stars for about ten minutes, and relaxed.

Zorro broke the silence when he noticed that she could hardly keep her eyes open. "Mi amor, I really should get you back to your Tavern, you are so tired, and need to rest."

"I was just thinking about our future together." She tried to play off how tired she really was.

He noticed she played with her ring whenever she was thinking deeply. He smiled happily and helped her stand up.

"We can talk more about our future together after you are rested." He took her hand and held onto her shoulders until she was able to stand without wobbling.

"You can sleep on the ride back, and if you want me to slow down to a slower pace, we can take our time riding back to the pueblo." He helped her walk to the path leading down the steep hill.

They slowly made their way down the hill. Diego whistled for Toronado. The black horse came around from the side of the hill with a mouth full of grass.

"Sorry to interrupt your meal old boy, but we need to get Victoria back to her Tavern." Toronado shook his head in understanding and came to stand next to his master.

Diego lifted Victoria up to sit in the saddle and then jumped up to sit behind her. He replaced his mask, and they slowly made their way back to the pueblo. Victoria fell asleep, and was so relaxed she did not even notice they were already within sight of the pueblo gates. Zorro let her sleep until they were at the Taverns back door.

"Wake up my love," he whispered softly into her ear. She woke up enough to hold onto the saddle horn until he could lift her down, and carry her up to her room.

"Diego, will you stay with me until I fall asleep?" She smiled at him tiredly.

"Sure, but only until you are asleep. I need to get back to the hacienda before my father notices that I have been gone half the night." He helped her lie down and covered her up.

"Can you please hold me?" She pouted at him. He could not help but smile at her, she was so beautiful, and he loved her so much.

"Si, mi amor." He put his hat, gloves, and belt on the floor next to the bed, and lay down on top of the covers. She snuggled closer to him, and put her head on his chest. It did not take long for her to go back to sleep. Diego had a difficult time keeping his emotions under control with her so close to him.

Once he was sure she was in a deep sleep, he carefully untangled himself from her relaxed body. "I love you Victoria," he whispered softly into her ear as he leaned over to kiss her forehead. As he stood up, and began to put his belt, gloves, and hat back on, he heard her talking in her sleep. He smiled when he heard her say that she loved him too. "Sleep my love, sleep. I will see you in the morning." He whispered to her as he left her bedroom, and closed the door behind him.

The ride back to the hacienda was quiet and seemed too long. He was lost in thought as he replayed his day back through his mind. It had been a great day, and he would never forget how Victoria reacted to his proposal. "I am getting married," he said quietly to himself with a huge grin.

Once Zorro arrived at the cave, he entered quietly. "Now I need to get some rest." He brushed, watered, and feed Toronado before changing into his normal clothes. He looked through the peep hole to make sure no one was around, and left the cave so he could rest in his own bed.

Sleep did not come easy for him. His mind was still racing around the idea of spending the rest of his life with the woman he loved.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

The morning came very early for Victoria. She woke to find herself alone, but knew Diego would be coming to see her at lunch. She jumped up out of bed and changed her clothes. She had so much that needed to be prepared before she opened her Tavern for the day.

She found a piece of ribbon and slid her ring onto it and tied the ends together. "Now I can keep it close to me where nobody will see it." She smiled as she pinned the ribbon with the ring on it to her corset.

As soon as she was ready to go downstairs, she noticed that she forgot to put the small box away that Zorro/Diego's ring came in. She put the box in her top drawer and then remembered that she forgot to read the note that came with the ring. She quickly took the note out and read it to herself.

_Victoria, my love, I want to spend the rest of my life with you._

_Love Always,_

_Diego_

She smiled to herself and put the note and box in the top drawer of her chest of drawers. She made her way down to the kitchen to prepare for her busy day.

Pilar noticed that she was in a good mood and asked why she was so bouncy. "I had a wonderful dream last night." She replied with a dreamy smile. Her helper could guess who her employer dreamt about, and smiled at her. Pilar left the kitchen to open the Tavern for the day.

Customers filled the tables and conversations were loud, but the noise did not bother her today. She was distracted with her own thoughts. About 20 minutes before siesta, Diego walked into the Tavern and noticed Victoria behind the bar.

"Good afternoon Diego. What can I get you for lunch? Would you like a glass of lemonade or juice?" She asked him with a small smile only he could see.

"I would love a bowl of your delicious soup, and a glass of lemonade please." He replied as a smile curled the edges of his mouth.

"I will bring that right out to you. As you can see, all of the tables inside are full." She looked around the Tavern and back at him.

"That's alright. I was planning on sitting outside anyway. I was up late last night, and when I fell asleep, I had the most wonderful dream." He flashed a grin at her, and slid a note to her.

She slipped the note into her apron pocket, and watched Diego go outside to find a table to sit down for lunch. She went to the kitchen to put his lunch together and to read the note he slipped to her before he went outside.

_My love,_

_Last night was the most amazing night of my life. Please meet me at the Guardian office at siesta. I need to see you._

_Love always,_

_Diego_

Victoria put the note back in her apron pocket, and was lost in her memories of last night. She was so deep in thought, she did not hear Pilar enter the kitchen with a tray full of dirty dishes.

"Victoria, is something wrong?" Pilar asked her as she started to wash the dishes.

"No, I was just thinking about the dream I had last night." Victoria replied with a smile on her face.

"Well, it must have been a great dream. You have looked lost in thought the whole morning." Pilar said with a smile and continued to wash the dishes.

"Oh, it was a wonderful dream. It felt so real." She gave Pilar a huge smile.

"I need to get lunch delivered to a few tables, and then we can get ready to close for siesta." Victoria picked up two trays and left the kitchen still in a dreamy haze.

"Thank you, it looks so good, you make the best soup in the whole pueblo." Diego complimented her as she put his lunch down on the table in front of him.

"You are too kind Diego." She flashed him a loving smile. She winked at him, and went back inside to help serve the other customers.

The last customers left the Tavern, and Victoria locked the door before she began to put the dirty dishes that were left on the tables, onto the tray she carried to take back for washing. She hurried through the curtain and put the dishes in the dish water and wiped her hands on her apron.

"Pilar, I am going for a walk," she told her helper as she went out the back door.

She walked over to the Guardian office and knocked on the door. When Diego did not answer, she opened the door and poked her head in and called his name.

"Diego, are you here?" She whispered quietly. She looked around but did not see him. She went inside and was going to wait for him. Just as she was about to close the door behind her, she felt someone grab her hand and pull her behind the door. The door closed behind her, and she felt a hot kiss close in on her lips.

"Diego, you scared me. What were you doing behind the door?" She gave him a playful smile when she noticed he had a wicked and playful grin on his face.

"I wanted to surprise you, and I could not wait to kiss you." He pulled her in so close to his body, she could feel his excitement below.

He kissed her so deeply, her legs became weak, and she almost slipped to the floor. He caught her up in his strong arms, and carried her over to the desk. He pushed everything on the desk over to the edge, and set her down gently. Still locked in a passionate kiss, Victoria held onto his waist with her legs tightly wrapped around and moaned with delight. They soon found themselves unbuttoning each others clothes and exploring the hot skin underneath.

A knock at the door broke them apart. They looked at the door with an annoyed expression.

"I am sorry Victoria," Diego apologized when he noticed how far they had gone. "I do not know what came over me. I can usually control myself, but the longer we wait the harder it is to keep my emotions inside." He looked at her with hungry eyes.

The knock came again, and this time is was louder.

"Diego, we need to get married soon. I do not know how long I can keep this passion back. Every time I see you, I want to kiss you." She gave him a loving and pleading look.

"I will talk to the Padre today, and we can set a date to be married soon." He told her as he buttoned his shirt. "But I need to see who is at the door before they walk in and find us together. We do not want any questions raised about us. People still think you are in love with Zorro, and if they see you with me, they might put ideas together about Zorro's true identity," he warned her, and helped her straighten up her clothing.

Victoria stepped down onto the floor and gave him a kiss before she went to hide behind the door.

Diego made sure he was presentable, and opened the door. Victoria stayed behind the door so whoever was knocking could not see her.

"Sergeant, is there something wrong?" Diego looked concerned.

"No, there is nothing wrong. I was wondering if you knew where Senorita Victoria was. We just got back from a long ride, and I am very hungry." Mendoza asked as he patted his belly.

"I have not seen her. I have been working on the next edition of the newspaper." Diego found it hard to hide a smile when he looked at Victoria, who was also trying to hold back a laugh.

"Well, if you see her, could you please tell her that I was looking for her?" Mendoza asked Diego.

"If I see her, I will tell her that you were looking for her, Sergeant." Diego replied and tried to hold the laughter inside.

"Thank you, Diego." Mendoza turned around to leave. "You are welcome," Diego replied and started to close the door. "Diego," the sergeant said as he turned back around, "are you okay? Your face is red and it looks like you need to take a break," concern crossed over the sergeant's face.

"I am fine, my office gets hot, and I was about to open the window when you knocked." Diego quickly made something up to get rid of the sergeant.

"That would be a good idea." The sergeant looked at Diego with a questioning look.

"I will go open that window now. I can feel it getting hotter in here already." Diego smiled and quickly closed the door before Mendoza could ask any more questions.

Victoria let out her laugh quietly when the door was closed and locked.

"That was close," she said between bubbles of laughter.

"Too close. We need to be more careful." He gave her a Zorro grin, and pulled her over to him and kissed her on the forehead.

They let their emotions calm. Victoria helped Diego put things back in place before going back to the Tavern.

When she slipped out the door, she gave him a kiss that only made it harder to let her leave, but they did not want to get caught. One close call was enough.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Diego was on his way over to talk with the Padre when he heard that a young girl about the age of 7 was missing. He quickly left the pueblo to help look for the young girl. His conversation with the Padre would have to wait till a later time. He rode back to the cave and changed into his alter ego, and began his search. He thought back to what he heard a group of women talking about before he left the pueblo, _"she was helping her mother with the chickens, and that is when she disappeared," a women with a big hat had said as he passed by them. Another said that the girl and her family lived close to the De La Vega's. _

Diego started searching the paths and trails around his fathers land. He found tracks that lead to an old mine that had been closed years ago. He hoped the youngster was smart enough to stay away from the old mine. He heard someone crying, and could only hope it was the young girl he was searching for.

"Who's there? Are you alright?" Zorro's eyes searched all over the ground and then noticed a brightly colored skirt lying in the dirt next to a large rock. He did not want to frighten her, so he slowly dismounted and carefully made his way across the rocky and uneven ground between him and the youngster.

"What is your name? I am here to help you." He reached out to put his gloved hand on her small arm.

The girl rolled over to see who was next to her. Zorro saw that she was still crying a bit, and shaking. Her eyes were red and puffy. She had dirty tear streaked cheeks.

"My name is Anna." She gave him a scared look.

"My name is Zorro," he introduced himself with a friendly smile.

"Are you hurt in any way?" He asked her, eyes and voice full of concern.

"No, I am just scared. They took me from my mommy and left me here all by myself." Anna told him.

"Let's get you home to your parents. They are very worried about you." Zorro picked her up off the ground and carried her over to Toronado. He put her onto Toronado's back, and climbed up to sit behind her.

"There, there little one, you are safe now. You will be home with your parents very soon." He patted her on the arm, and they started down the path to the main road that led to the pueblo.

Zorro questioned Anna about who took her, how many men there were, and why they left her at the old mine while they rode back to the pueblo.

Anna told him that she was helping her mother catch the chickens so they could put them in the coop. One of the chickens ran behind the old house they lived in. She went chasing after it, and was snatched up as she went around the back corner of the house. She told him there were three men, and they had the bottom half of their faces covered with red clothes. Zorro took off his black cape, and wrapped it around her so she could stay warm when she started to shake again.

Zorro was thinking about what Anna told him when something caught his eye. Something did not feel right to him. His suspicions were confirmed when one man armed with a pistol, jumped out from behind a tree, and two more men armed with swords slowly advanced toward the masked rider and his young passenger. The banditos closed in on Toronado slowly, each had a look of evil on their covered and dirty faces.

"I am going to make sure that you are safe, so please hold on tightly. I am going to jump off, and Toronado will take you to the pueblo." Zorro whispered into Anna's ear. She gave him an understanding nod, and gripped the reins he handed her tightly.

Zorro jumped off of Toronado, but just before he landed, one of the bandits swiped at his left arm with his sharp sword. Zorro fell to the ground and yelled for Toronado to go to the pueblo.

Toronado took off galloping toward the pueblo with Anna holding on tightly.

"We have you now Zorro," spat one of the banditos.

Zorro made sure Toronado and Anna were out of the way before he stood up to face the bandits. He felt a hot pain shoot through his left shoulder.

"You think you have me, but we all know who will win." A wicked smile spread across his face, and he stood up to solute his challengers. The bandit with the pistol aimed at Zorro, and pulled the trigger. Zorro jumped out of the way as the wide shot when whizzing by him. Before the bandit could reload, Zorro sent him spinning to the ground after he punched him square in the jaw. The other two bandits watched as their comrade fell to the ground, and tried to run away. Zorro caught them and tied the bandits to a nearby tree.

The pain in his left shoulder was forgotten until now. He reached his right hand up to his left shoulder to check how deep the blade had cut him. The cut was not deep, but it was still bleeding badly. He slumped against a nearby tree and closed his eyes as the pain stabbed through his shoulder.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Toronado carried Anna to the pueblo and stopped in front of the Tavern. Victoria was closing the Tavern for the night. She noticed Zorro's horse standing in front and came running out to see what was going on.

"Toronado, where is Zorro?" She asked as she opened the Tavern door again. "OH, Anna, you are safe, but where is Zorro?" Worry filled her eyes, and she helped Anna down off of Zorro's black stallion.

"Zorro found me near an old mine, and on our way back three banditos attacked us. I think he might be hurt. He hit the ground hard before he told Toronado to run away." Anna was worried, and saw that Victoria was just as worried.

"Let's get you inside, I will fix you something to eat and drink while you are waiting for your parents. They have been so worried about you." Victoria led Anna inside.

"Pilar could you please stay with Anna until her parents get here?" Victoria asked her helper as she ran to the stairs to get something from her room.

Pilar nodded, and smiled at her, but not before she noticed the worried expression on her employers face.

"Is everything alright?" Pilar questioned Victoria as she came down the stairs and reached for the door.

"I am not sure yet, but I need to find out." Victoria left quickly and mounted Toronado. "Take me to Zorro." She commanded. Toronado headed out of the pueblo and onto the main road. About half a mile later, the stallion turned toward a cluster of tress on the left side and came to a stop.

Victoria climbed down and looked around her. Her eyes needed to adjust to the darkness. Her eyes fell on a shiny object next to a tree. She slowly walked over to the tree, and saw Zorro slumped against it. Panic took over, and she ran over to him.

"Zorro, wake up. " Victoria gently shook his arm.

A hiss of pain slipped through Zorro's teeth at the movement. "Victoria, what are you doing here?" He asked her as he slowly opened his eyes.

"You sent Toronado and Anna to the pueblo, but when you were not with them, I worried. Anna told me she thought you might be hurt, so I came looking for you." Her eyes noticed the spots of blood on his left shoulder.

Zorro sat up a little straighter and took Victoria's hand as she reached to unbutton his shirt to look at the cut closer. "It is only a scratch; please don't worry about it right now." He gave her a relaxing gaze and brought her hand to his lips for a kiss.

"Diego, you need to have that cut cared for before it gets infected," she leaned in next to his ear so only he could hear her. "You had me worried sick about you." Her eyes were serious as she removed her hand from his and proceeded to unbutton his black shirt.

"Fine, if you insist, but like I told you, it is just a scratch." Anger filled his voice slightly, but he relaxed again so she could clean and cover the wound.

They tied the banditos to their horses, Zorro carved a Z into the seat of their pants, and they started to ride back to the pueblo, leading the banditos horses behind them. When they entered the pueblo they carefully lead the banditos horses in the direction of the alcalde's office.

"Victoria, I really need to leave before De Soto finds me here." Zorro held onto her tightly as he brought Toronado to a stop behind the Tavern.

"I wish you could stay longer, but please be careful on your way back to the hacienda." She looked at him, and gave him a kiss on the lips that took him by surprise.

"Victoria," Zorro paused, "I can come back later tonight if you want me to stay in the Tavern with you tonight." His wicked smile made Victoria blush and kiss him again.

"I would like it very much, if you would join me tonight, and maybe we can talk about our future. I would also feel safer with you here." She hugged him tightly and looked up into his blue eyes.

"I need to start keeping some spare clothes hidden in your room, so I do not have to leave you alone and unprotected so much." His eyes were filled with love, and she could see other ideas dancing around in his mind when she felt him move his ungloved hand into her hair.

"Hurry back. I will be waiting for you." Victoria gave him a playful and seductive smile.

"Maybe I will just stay and ride back early in the morning." He pulled her close to him and kissed her as if he had not kissed her before. They came up for air, and Diego scooped her up into his arms. They entered the kitchen, went through the dining room, and up the stairs to Victoria's bedroom.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6-teen rated**

Diego woke just before the sunrise. He looked down at Victoria and smiled at how beautiful she was when she slept.

"What an amazing woman," he thought to himself as he sat up carefully so he would not wake her up. He moved her over a bit so he could stand up. He dressed quietly and made sure that she was warm and comfortable before he left to go home.

Victoria woke to find herself alone and cold. Diego left a note for her on the pillow.

_Mi Amor,_

_I will be back to see you as soon as I can. I miss you already, and do not know how much longer I can wait to make you my wife. Please know that I love you with all of my heart, and I will protect you from harm. Together we can make anything happen, and I am looking forward to our future together._

_Love always,_

_Diego_

Victoria blushed when she thought about the love they shared last night.

"You are an amazing man Diego." She said to herself as she sat up and looked around the room. When she saw that the sun was almost up, she jumped up out of bed and washed up. She quickly dressed and headed down to the kitchen to prepare for the day. She ached all over and knew that it would be hard to hide the fact that she was still thinking about the night before.

Diego slept on a cot he kept in the cave just in case he was injured or too tired to go to his room for the night. He woke up and missed Victoria. His thoughts drifted back to the night before.

"Diego," Alejandro called from the other side of the wall. "Where is that lazy son of mine? Maybe he is still sleeping." Diego looked through the peep hole and as soon as his father went down the hall to the bedroom, Diego slipped through the fire place and pulled a book off the shelf and sat down in a chair. He pretended to be reading when his father came back to the library; Alejandro was surprised to see Diego sitting there.

"I just checked for you here, and you were not…oh never mind," Alejandro closed his mouth and shook his head in confusion. "Have you heard the news," he questioned his son who looked up with a blank expression on his face.

"What news father?" Diego looked back down at his book.

"Victoria and Zorro had a fight last night. She told him to stay away from her, and that she loved another who also asked her to marry him." This news did not shock Diego, but to hear it from his father first, before hearing from Victoria took him by surprise. Of course he knew about the engagement, but the fight he would have to ask her about the next time he saw her.

"No, I have not heard anything about that," Diego tried to cover the confused look on his face.

"Are you alright son?" His father asked Diego.

"Yes, I am fine father," Diego replied as he closed his book and looked up at his father. "Why do you ask?"

"Do you know anything about this? Who is this mystery man Victoria is engaged to? Why would she keep this news quiet for so long?" His father questioned him and crossed his arms over his chest and stared at Diego waiting for a response.

"What makes you think I would know who this mystery man in Victoria's life is? Also, she has a life of her own and is entitled to some privacy." Diego gave his father an annoyed look.

"Alright Diego, I believe you, but would you please do me a favor?" Alejandro responded sharply. "Could you please talk to Victoria? You two are friends, maybe you can find out who this mystery man is, and why she has been keeping him a secret?" He gave his son an impatient look.

"Yes father, I will talk to her, but I make no promises that she will tell me anything. She is a woman, and like you have told me before, women are full of secrets and unpredictable." Diego gave his father a small smile and stood up to leave. "Now, if you will excuse me, I have to work on a few articles for the newspaper." He felt his father staring at his back as he opened the front door and left.

"I still think he knows what is going on." Alejandro muttered to himself. He left the library and went down the hallway to his bedroom.

"Victoria, can I talk to you in private please?" Diego gave her a right now kind of look as he leaned against the bar.

"Sure, is something wrong?" She questioned him. She could tell he was upset about something.

They went into the kitchen, and made sure there was no one around.

"I wish you had asked me about how to change your feelings from Zorro to myself before telling half the pueblo." He stared at her.

"I wanted to talk to you this morning, but when I woke up, you had already left." She eyed him closely as a touch of anger began to creep into her expression.

"I left a note for you." He said as he reached for her hands. "I told you I would be back as soon as I could." He squeezed her hands and pulled her close to him.

"Please believe me when I say that I really did not want to leave you alone this morning. I wanted to stay with you, but we both know what could happen if Zorro was caught."

"I know, and I am sorry for telling a few people about our pretend fight." She winked at him. "I want to marry you and start a family, and I do not know how much longer I can wait." She gazed up at him and smiled.

"Victoria, I am sorry for getting upset with you." He returned her smile and reached up to her forehead to move a piece of hair that fell into her eyes. "I know how you feel, and I do not think I can wait much longer either. Last night made me love you even more." He smiled softly.

"How are you going to tell your father? Does he know your secret?" Victoria searched his eyes for his mood.

"We can tell him tonight. Will you join us for dinner?" A look of thought crossed his face as he began to play with her fingers softly. "I will figure something out, but till then, please don't worry about it." He kissed her softly on the forehead and let her hands go slowly.

"Yes, I will join you for dinner Diego, but what do you think your father will say when he hears that we are engaged?' A worried look crossed her face, but was quickly wiped off when Diego kissed her lips softly.

"I do not think he will be too mad at you, but my alter ego might not go over so well with him. It is time to come clean about all the deception and lies that have been hidden for the past five years." He gave her a worried look. "But look on the bright side," he smiled at her, "he will get those grandbabies he keeps talking about."

Victoria laughed softly, and reached up to pull his head down for a quick kiss. "Yes he will, lots of them I hope." She gave him a sly smile and playfully kissed him on the nose.

He was taken by surprise at how excited she was to have a big family.

"I will see you later this evening for dinner." She kissed him on the cheek quickly and rushed out of the kitchen when she heard Pilar call for some help out in the dining room.

Diego watched her leave the kitchen. He felt like pulling her back into the kitchen and planting a passionate kiss on her sweet lips, but he also knew that he needed to figure out how to tell his father about his secret life and his engagement to Victoria.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Later on that evening, Diego went to pick up Victoria for dinner. They talked about how they were going to tell Alejandro about the two secrets that were going to change the De La Vega family forever.

After dinner, they sat in the library talking about everyday life and cattle pricing. Victoria grew bored with the conversation quickly, and elbowed Diego in the ribs to get his attention. He gave her a confused look, but knew what she was hinting at as soon as he saw her play with her ring finger. He smiled at her and nodded.

"Father, we need to talk to you about something important." Diego reached over and took Victoria's hand in his and squeezed it lovingly.

Alejandro noticed this strange behavior between them and gave them a questioning look, "What is it son?"

"Victoria and I are engaged to be married, we have been for a few days, but now we feel it is time to make it officially public." Diego was showing his father a more confident side of himself.

"What do you mean you have been engaged for a few days? Why have you not told me until now?" His father's voice was a little louder with each word.

"Zorro was going to propose to Victoria when he rescued her from some banditos trying to rob her last year. She was knocked unconscious, so the only thing he could do was take her to his cave and care for her injured ankle. He had to make sure she was safe before he could take her back to her Tavern. The banditos followed him and interrupted when he was about to propose his love to her." Diego explained carefully.

"Diego what does this have to do with you and Victoria?" Alejandro was confused, but was willing to listen to what he had to say.

"Father, I am trying to tell you that Zorro asked Victoria to marry him two days ago." Diego hoped his father caught onto the clues he dropped.

"I am still confused Diego." Alejandro looked at Victoria and asked, "Do you know what he is talking about?"

"Yes I do, and what Diego is trying to tell you is that he has been keeping a side of himself hidden from you for the past five years. I am in love with Zorro, and now we can get married. I know the true identity of the man I fell in love with." Victoria moved closer to Diego and gave him a loving smile.

Alejandro was now staring at them both as if he were in shock. After a few moments of wondering what to do, Diego noticed that his father was slowly putting something together in his head.

"Diego, are you telling me that Zorro and Victoria are engaged to be married," he looked at Diego, "and now you tell me you know Zorro's true identity," he then looked at Victoria with a look of disbelief. "That could only mean one thing." The look of shock came back to Alejandro's face. "My son has hidden a side of himself from me for five years. Diego are you telling me that you are…." He fell over in shock and surprise.

"Father, Father, wake up please." Diego's worried voice could be heard in the kitchen.

The kitchen help came running into the library and noticed their patron lying down on the couch. "What happened? Is he alright?" Maria asked Diego.

"He will be fine. He fainted from the heat. Could you please open the windows and bring me a cold cloth to cool him down." He asked her calmly as he could.

"I will be right back with the water and cloth." Maria rushed out of the room.

"Do you think he figured out who you have been for the past five years?" Victoria asked Diego after Maria left the room.

"From the look on his face before he fainted, I would say that he probably did, but we will know for sure when he wakes up." Diego told her as he stood up and went over to the fire place. "I will be right back, please keep an eye on my father until I return." He pushed a lever under the mantel and the back of the fire place opened up.

Diego noticed the shock and surprise on Victoria's face, "I will show you around the cave when things settle down." Then he disappeared and the door closed behind him. A minute later he returned with a small bottle.

"What is that?" She asked him with curious eyes.

"I call it smelling salts. It has a very strong smell that helps someone wake up after passing out." He smiled at her.

"Is that one of your experiments?" She smiled back at him.

"Yes, and it has been very useful." Diego opened the small bottle and held it under his father's nose.

Alejandro woke up slowly and shook his head. "What happened and why am I lying down?" A confused Alejandro asked as he sat up.

"You fainted, but you will be fine." Diego told his father with a small smile. "Do you feel better lying down or sitting up father," Diego held onto his father's arm to help steady him.

"Sitting up is fine, but I have a bad headache now." Alejandro complained.

Maria came back with a cloth and bowl of water and set it down on a table next to the couch. "Thank you Maria," Diego said as he dipped the cloth into the water and started to wipe his father's face carefully.

"You're welcome; I am going to open a few more windows to help cool it off in here a bit more." She hurried out of the library and down the hallway leading to the guest rooms.

Diego put the cloth down and sat next to Victoria, when his father pushed his hand away.

"Diego, what was I saying before I fainted?" Alejandro asked his son.

"We were talking about our engagement," Diego pulled Victoria close, "and you were about to tell us who you thought I have been for the past five years." Diego replied with a worried look.

"Oh, right, well as I was saying that means you, my son, must be Zorro" A look of confusion covered his face.

"Are you alright father? You are looking very pale. Lie back down and relax until your head feels better." Diego tried to help his father lay down, but his father resisted.

"I am fine, Diego. Please sit down and leave me alone. I am fine really." Alejandro pushed his son's hands away.

"If you say so." Diego gave his father a concerned look and shook his head.

"My son is Zorro," Alejandro said quietly to himself and smiled. I knew you had the De La Vega fight in you. I could not figure out how or why you changed so much when you came home from Spain." He looked at Diego and reached over to give his son a hug. "I am sorry for all the mean words I have called you in the past." He gave his son a guilty look.

"It was all part of my plan. I made sure that no one could connect me to Zorro. I wanted to protect myself and loved ones, so that meant that I had to pretend to be weak and not interested in fighting. If I had been caught as Zorro, at least you, Victoria, and Felipe would have been safe from harm." Diego explained to his father carefully.

"I understand, son. And now we can have a family and protect each other. It is still hard to believe that my son, Diego, is Zorro." Alejandro said quietly so only the three of them could hear.

"Now that you know of my secret life, we need to be very careful of how we react to Zorro when he is needed." Diego gave his father a serious look.

"Yes, I know we do, but we have other things to talk about also, like your engagement." He smiled at both Diego and Victoria. He looked at their hands and smiled even bigger. "We have a wedding to plan." He stood up to congratulate them and pulled them both into a big hug.

Diego began to court Victoria, and one month later they announced their engagement. They had a beautiful wedding. The whole pueblo showed up to witness the union of Don Diego De La Vega and Victoria Escalante. De Soto showed up, but he kept his eyes open for Zorro.

The reception was full of dancing, food and plenty of drink. Both Diego and Victoria danced the whole time. When the party drew to a close, the happy couple thanked their guests for coming. Felipe brought the carriage around to the front of the Tavern and waited for the newly weds to come out. Alejandro climbed up next to Felipe and gave him a warm and happy smile. Diego and Victoria climbed up into the back of the carriage and sat down very close to each other. Felipe drove back to the hacienda slowly so he would not disrupt the happy couple while they talked about how nice the day turned out to be and how much fun the reception was. They pulled up in front of the hacienda. Diego climbed down and lifted Victoria out of the carriage. The newly weds were lost in each others eyes as they entered the hacienda and headed to Diego's bedroom.

"Felipe, we will not be seeing much of them in the next few days or so." Alejandro gave Felipe a huge grin.


End file.
